Black Moth Super Rainbow
Cobra Juicy
Available on Rad Cult (October 23, 2012)

If airports are the ghost towns of the future, Black Moth Super Rainbow is already there, playing an all night party amidst crumbling walls, deserted storefronts, and lines of empty chairs. Mechanically processed vocals floating through distorted synthesizer riffs somehow manage to sound warm and friendly. Shadows shift as people filter in and the desolation is slowly replaced with dancing. It seems entirely possible that an alien spacecraft could land on the cracked tarmac at any moment, amidst echoes of the drum machine.
 

In the cultural subconscious, the sounds of modular synths and vocorders are inextricably linked to spaceships, robots, and boxy white text on black computer screens. Because Black Moth Super Rainbow tends toward such instruments, the music often has a party-on-the-Starship-Enterprise vibe. Cobra Juicy is no exception. After a few seconds of rowdy pep-band percussion, the album transforms into a retro-futuristic exploration of analogue electronica. It might seem impenetrable and disorienting unless you regularly listen to Boards of Canada, Air, and Pink Floyd all at once—and it might even if you do. This is fringes of the fringes songwriting and, while BMSR has plenty of fans, the music is a creative experiment probably never intended to be understood or loved by the masses. There’s an urge to try to wrap your head around it all, but it’s only when you stop analyzing that the sounds begin to make much sense. Once the moog-era novelty wears off, we hear danceable beats, straightforward hooks, and melodies meant to delight rather than impress.

Cobra Juicy is the product of BMSR’s own transformation. Frontman Tobacco (Tom Fec) reported feeling confined by the project after 2009’s Eating Us. He went solo for a couple of albums, then got inspired to return to BMSR—without the rest of the band. He laid down several tracks, trashed most of them, and made new ones. Though the band will be joining him for the live tour, clearly this is not a man who gives in to sentimentality. Rather than nostalgia for a dead future, tracks like “Spraypaint” and “I Think I’m Evil,” seem to be coming to terms with the weirdness of now. Others, like “Psychic Love Damage” and “We Burn,” revel in the strange and sad while finding something beautiful in them. Cobra Juicy owns our culture’s dated expectations and eerie optimism, turning the history of our imagined future into a new thing that’s vulnerable and joyful, sinister and lovely all at once.

Animal Collective
Centipede Hz
Available on Domino (Sept. 4, 2012)

When Strawberry Jam was released in 2007 it was difficult to imagine Animal Collective creating a follow-up album of equaled excitement, innovation, and approachability, but they managed to surpass it with the masterpiece Merriweather Post Pavilion. So how would the band respond to the explosion of critical acclaim and fandom that followed the release of MPP? Would they produce a surefire hit, appeasing a majority of fans with a loop-heavy, melodic chill-zone Merriweather sequel? The answer is no. Animal Collective would go into the studio and do what they always have done—whatever they feel like.

Centipede Hz is, in certain respects, a return to Animal Collective’s past. For the first time since 2007, guitarist Josh Dibb (Deakin) has joined the other three members in writing and recording a new album. The band relies much less on samples for inspiration this time, instead opting for more of a live sound with Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) helming the percussive end, Dave Portner (Avey Tare) mainly on keys, Brian Weitz (Geologist) sticking with his sampler, and Deakin on baritone guitar. Most notably, Centipede Hz exudes an overarching intensity in its compositions and pace not achieved since 2003’s Here Comes the Indian.

Like the majority of their previous releases, however, Centipede Hz runs together as one continuous flow, with each song bleeding into the next. The transitions were constructed as if old radio advertisements were being hurled through the cosmos for any unsuspecting alien to stumble upon. With “Rosie Oh,” surprisingly one of only two Panda Bear songs, a bouncing bass and laser sample back up the clean vocal lines, sounding as if made inside a haunted cake factory. On the first ever Deakin-fronted Animal Collective track, “Wide Eyed,” the guitarist adopts a sort of roaming melody that hangs over a hypnotic and bubbling beat. Perhaps the most easily accessible track on first listen is Avey Tare’s “Today’s Supernatural.” The winding synthesizers, distorted guitar crunches, and rolling beats play secondary to the best collection of hooks on the release. Although Centipede Hz may not immediately stand out as exceptional, the songs have a way of slowly seeping in so that something new is revealed with each listen.

Listen to a multimedia stream of Centipede Hz at Animal Collective's website 

MV & EE
Space Homestead
Available now on Woodsist

Matt Valentine and Erika Elder, otherwise known as MV & EE, have crafted the perfect album for floating down a gentle river on a lazy summer day when all that matters is the moment of now. Space Homestead, the group’s second album on Woodsist, flows like such a stream - moving at its own easy pace, turning and tumbling wherever the day takes it, paying little mind to the commotion of modern life surrounding it.

The band conjures up these pastoral images through the lackadaisical sounds of Valentine’s softly strummed acoustic work and Elder’s reverb-injected lap steel guitar. On “Workingman’s Smile,” this foundation is joined by a careening bassline, simple drum beats, and a pair of electric guitars that hover about with no real destination. The lack of instrumental direction is honed in, however, by the interspersed and easygoing vocals of Valentine and Elder. With the track “Too Far to See,” MV & EE produce a cosmic atmosphere of synthy raindrops and reeling distorted guitar that flies around like a moth looking for a place to land. 

The final song on the album, “Porchlight,” fuses crunchy, fast-tempo guitar and jazzy drum beats with a layer of meandering, wah-wah riffs and dreamy vocals; it sounds as if two entirely different songs are being played at the same time. This discordance breaks away at the song’s midpoint into simple harmonica squeals and acoustic rhythms with Valentine’s sensitive voice gliding over it.

Space Homestead, while void of any clear musical ambition, finds strength in its weakness. The free flowing and relaxed nature of the album allows for it to be played as a soundtrack to the aimless adventures of summer. So find a raft, bring a few friends, and let Space Homestead take you down stream.

 White Arrows - Dry Land Is Not A Myth (Votiv) 

Imagine trekking down a humid jungle path at dusk when, through an opening in the trees, you spot the glowing orb of a UFO passing slowly above. You follow the dim hum of the craft and hear the unlikely sound of celebration grow louder with each step. The density of the forest gives way to a moss-carpeted clearing and reveals the source of the sound - a group of young musicians playing psychotropical pop songs to a crowd of head-bobbing aliens.

This story has most likely never occurred, but if it did, the band  playing would most definitely be White Arrows. The Los Angeles quintet, formed a few years ago out of  demos created by singer Mickey Church, have just released their debut album called Dry Land Is Not A Myth . Taken to  such influences as Carl Sagan and 90’s kids movies, White Arrows conjure up colorful and nostalgic imagery fitting for a telescopic star party. 

The new single and album opener, “Roll Forever,” is an amalgamation of musical styles, from upbeat electronic pop to relaxed, introspective space rock. Twitching guitars and reverb-heavy backup vocals pair with an uptempo beat, creating a sense of aural slow motion. On the standout track “Get Gone,” drummer Henry Church indulges in the type of bouncing percussion reminiscent of Animal Collective’s Panda Bear. Backed by warbling synthesizers and interjecting guitar riffs, Mickey Church reflects on  young adulthood singing, “Mama said I ain’t got no home, yeah, get gone.” While much of White Arrows lyrics seem to focus on the difficult  questions of young 20-somethings, the music always offers an infectious counterbalance of positivity.

Dry Land Is Not A Myth exudes a kind of youthful optimism for life that perfectly reflects the wonder of warm summer nights. And why shouldn’t it? White Arrows seem to be gathering momentum heading into their first full tour of the U.S. So go ahead, bob your heads. Humans and aliens alike. 

Dent May
Do Things
Available now on Paw Tracks (June 12)

“Every day of every year, I wonder what I’m doing here,” sings Dent May on “Home Groan.” The song is an anthem for small-town kids, or anyone that forgoes tastemaker cities to stay put. The sentiment is also representative of themes woven through the album, Do Things, as May muses on existence—from friendship to finding life’s meaning—with plenty of synth and slightly twisted Beach-Boys-style harmony.

Lyrically, May is willing to challenge convention. Throughout the album, he urges listeners to believe in themselves and their ability to transcend difficulties. “There was a time when I never thought that I’d feel good again,” sings May in a vaguely doo-wop style on the album’s title track. The moral of this story? “Do things your own way.” Similarly, “Find It” empowers listeners, telling them to stand by their dreams and discover life’s meaning for themselves. “Rent Money” and “Parents” reflect on frustrations with the adult world and focus on staying true to oneself in spite of disappointments and obstacles.

There’s not a traditional love song on the album, though there’s plenty of love. May mentions the importance of friends in at least 4 tracks. And while “Best Friend” seems to address a lover, the focus is on their long and reliable friendship. “Wedding Day” and “Don’t Wait Too Long” speak to the challenges of finding romantic love, and in “Tell Her,” he sings about the frightening prospect of expressing love once it has been found. In each of these cases, May has an answer: “don’t worry,” “do what feels right,” “say what you feel.” The takeaway is consistent: trust life’s process and live from the heart.

Musically, the album is joyful and a bit experimental. May is not afraid to sound like a warped video tape of a Beach Boys concert, but most of the time he pulls it off. The liberal use of synthesizer, drum machines, funky bass lines, and close harmonies make for a lovingly campy sound. Comparisons to the solo work of Animal Collective’s Panda Bear would be fair. Of course, that makes Dent May a logical pick for Paw Tracks (Animal Collective’s label). Still, Do Things won’t fail to surprise and—for Panda Bear fans—delight.

Do Things is a refreshing combination of experimental play, honesty, and optimism. The world is a strange, overwhelming place—perhaps most confusing at young adulthood. Rather than offering tools for navigation, Dent May urges listeners to throw out the map, get lost, and experience the surroundings. “Don’t know what’s in store for me,” he sings, “but I think it’s gonna be fun.”

 
Yann Tiersen
Skyline
Available now on Anti- (April 17, 2012)

Listening to Yann Tiersen’s Skyline feels a bit like catching up with an old friend. Perhaps you haven’t heard from this pal in a decade (the Amelie soundtrack), or maybe it’s only been a couple of years (Dust Lane). Either way, like a childhood companion you’ve run into on the street, you’ll find Tiersen aged but recognizable. And though you might have to get reacquainted, chances are you’ll enjoy doing it.

At first, Tiersen allows us to hear the side of him that we expect. “Another Shore” opens with a toy piano melody seemingly pulled from the past. That lasts for about three seconds, and then Tiersen begins to layer on percussion and guitar. Within the first minute, he has constructed a dynamic, instrumental rock track, cresendos retreating into softer, timid moments only to build up again.

But Tiersen has done more than find a new formula. On Skyline, experimentation abounds as he draws from a range of influences (think Air and The Books swapping stories with My Bloody Valentine and Do Make Say Think). “I’m Gonna Live Anyhow,” “Monuments,” and “The Gutter” are filled with layers of idiosyncratic sounds, alternately quirky and beautiful. That combination is well-trod territory for Tiersen, even as his choice of genre continues to evolve. 

On the whole, Skyline feels expansive and agreeably surreal. The notable exception is “Exit 25 Block 50,” with screams, hoots, and howls that seem an apt accompaniment to a small-town haunted house. These sounds eventually morph into something more tolerable, almost pleasant. Whether the listener will make it there is uncertain. Still, tracks like “Hesitation Wound,” “The Trial,” and “Vanishing Point” confirm that Tiersenhas found a balance between grit and transcendence. There is distortion, there is melody, there is aching and redemption.

If Dust Lane was Tiersen’s foray into the depths, Skyline is his emergence, changed but triumphant. It is a transformation that can’t be described as good, bad, or even stunningly original. But it is authentic.